OmniCorp Industries Light Hauler
The OmniCorp Industries Light Hauler is a light transport starship hull manufactured by OmniCorp Industries of G'ahnlo. Inexpensive and capable of being fitted for a wide variety of roles, it is one of the most common hulls in the Orion Arm, with more than 20,000 produced since the class's inception. Now, having gone through three major redesigns since its original release, the OCI Light Hauler can be seen filling various short-haul and small-cargo roles. History Preproduction The OCI Light Hauler prototype first flew in February 3981, receiving safety certification from the G'ahnlo Shipbuilders and Sellers Association, as well as OAU and Parallax certifications, two months later. Mark I The Light Hauler Mark I Series A was the first production model, entering the market in December, 3981. It quickly took its place atop OmniCorp's bestselling models list, prompting the production of the Mark I Series B in 3983, available factory-configured for passenger transport or hazardous materials transport. Questions about long-term spaceframe survivability in Series A and B, as well as dropping materials prices, prompted production of the legendarily durable Light Hauler Mark I Series C in early 3984. Approximately 15,000 Mark Is of all three series were sold, making the Mark I the most popular OCI Light Hauler model to this day. Mark II In 3988, OmniCorp Industries began production of the Mark II Series A, lengthened five meters to accomodate extra fuel and an additional two meters of cargo space over the Mark I models. In addition, the power and propulsion systems were redone with modern components, leading to an increase in efficiency of nearly ten percent. Released concurrently with the Series A were the Series B, fitted for passenger transport, and the Series C, lengthened another five meters for further cargo space. In 3990, the Series D, a militarized Series C equipped with military-grade shields and uprated engines, entered services with several militaries around the Orion Arm as a fast multirole transport. Including the Series D, 9,500 were produced. Mark III Production of the Mark II continued until 3995, when the much-maligned Mark III Series A entered production. The Mark III, attempting to lessen the amount of preventative maintenance required compared to the Mark I and Mark II, did away with many of the electromechanical systems that, when properly maintained, contributed to the earlier models' reliability. Therefore, the Mark III mounted a computer system significantly more complex than that in the earlier models. To meet the price point the market could bear, OmniCorp spent less on build quality, leaving the Mark III with a reputation for hit-or-miss reliability. A military Series B was a commercial failure. Fewer than 2,000 were sold. Mark IV After the failure of the Mark III, OmniCorp Industries discontinued preliminary design work on the Light Hauler Mark IV and continued to provide the Mark II alongside the Mark III. However, by 4003, the Mark II was vastly outdated in hull design and propulsion system compared to its newer competitors. OmniCorp Industries made another attempt at the Mark IV design, and in 4004 the Mark IV Series A was released. It was a runaway success, due to a winning formula of modern propulsion and hull design and the simplicity and reliability of the early models. Slightly shorter than the Mark II, it nevertheless maintained the same cargo capacity due to better construction techniques. By 4005, Series B, a passenger transport, Series C, an executive version with the cargo hold converted to living quarters, and Series D, a liquid-goods transport, were on the market. In 4008, OmniCorp Industries announced plans for four more Mark IV models: the Series E, a lengthened version, the militarized series F, the Series S, a four-engined scout, and the Series R, a limited-production Series S fit as a luxury racing vessel, in commemoration of the rookie season success of Zero Gravitas, a modified Mark I Series C which competes on the 50-meter racing circuit. To date, some 7,000 have been sold. Category:Encyclopedia Intergalactica Category:OtherSpace: Millennium Category:G'ahnlo (Millennium Era)